Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Seriously, though, a great game tonight with two heavyweights in Dice-K and the aCCe living up to their reputations. Essentially, it turned into a game where the Red Sox were able to capitalize on opportunities while the Indians were not, leaving 8 men on base.

Back to the rapidly approaching Trading Deadline, be sure to check out an excellent piece and some nice banter (although somewhat soured by an overly irrational commenter) on what’s out there for the Indians in regards to relievers over at the LGT.

It looks like a lesser-known name like Joaquin Benoit (who, ironically, could come over with another piece from Texas, like Lofton) fits into the Indians long-term needs better than a 3-month rental like Octavio Dotel. The fact that Benoit has outperformed Dotel this year and better fills the role that the Indians need (that of the 7th or 8th inning augmentation), at a lower cost, makes more sense for Shapiro, as he should be targeting relievers having great seasons, under club control for the next couple of years, that aren’t going to break the bank. Benoit (and Washington’s Jon Rauch) certainly falls into that category.

Remember that the Indians aren’t necessarily looking for a closer or a set-up guy, as theirs have thrived. What they need is a RH complement for The Scarecrow in the 7th, with the possibility of giving Betancourt some time off in the 8th, with the added insurance in case of injury.

With news that Mark Teixera is definitely on the block, would the Rangers be interested in Buffalo 1B Ryan Mulhern, who is effectively blocked by Ryan Garko and stuck in an organization rich with 1B prospects with little place to go? The Rangers’ cupboard is pretty bare behind Teixera (with Pronk and Adrian Gonzalez moved in some dreadful deals), so Mulhern may be enticing to them.

Would a combination of a young OF (Ben or Franklin) and Mulhern be enough to pry away Benoit and Lofton?

To me, a bigger name (like Gagne or Dotel) doesn’t necessarily mean a better option for this team. What Shapiro needs to target is a reliever that will remain under the club’s control for a few years that is on the way up the mountain (hopefully, with no injury history) as opposed to getting a player that may have his better days in the rearview mirror, with past injuries playing a major role.